I too have been counting down the days until Inception's release. However, prior to Inception, I honestly can't remember the last time that I was genuinely excited for an upcoming film.

"Looking back, it's amazing to recall how desperately people wanted to see it."So much so, that an entire movie was dedicated to it: Fanboys.

Thu Jun 17, 2010 4:16 pm

Ken

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

I don't think I've ever had an experience that mirrors the original Star Wars mania. Excuse the hifalutin' big words, but what happened in the mid-70s was the kind of paradigm shift that can't be manufactured. It wasn't technology that created the multimedia blockbuster. Just the perfect alignment of circumstances.

At least George Lucas was savvy enough to recognize it. It made him the kind of money that people hate you for having.

Thu Jun 17, 2010 4:52 pm

jksander

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

Patrick wrote:

Vexer wrote:

For me it was th eopposite with Avatar, all the hype behind that iflm actually amde me want to see it less rather then more, it was just one of those films that I got really tired of hearing about, so I had no desire whatsoever to see it in 3-D, and when i finally did see recently on DVD, I didn't see it as even close to being a 4 star film, I personally thought Cameron became so focused on making the visuals breathtaking that he didn't put the same effort into the story, and for me the visual splendor wore off after awhile, it takes more then fancy visual effects to blow my mind. Don't get me wrong i'm not saying Avatar is a bad film, I think it's a pretty good film that's let down by a not-so-great story, some weak dialogue and a slightly overdone (not to mention unnecssary)environmental message. I personally don't really see how Avatar was THE motion picture event of the decade like everyone made it out to be, when you take out the so-called "lifelike" 3-D, then Avatar isn't really all that different from other blockbusters IMO-in fact if the film wasn't made with 3-D, then I don't think it would be quite so critically acclaimed or have done as well at the box-office.

Sigh, now I'm the only person in this board who hasn't seen Avatar.

It's okay . . . apparently I'm the only person in Southern Indiana not to have been suckered into watching The Passion of the Christ.

Thu Jun 17, 2010 6:34 pm

PeachyPete

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

jksander wrote:

It's okay . . . apparently I'm the only person in Southern Indiana not to have been suckered into watching The Passion of the Christ.

I wasn't expecting much but the Matrix was a movie I walked out of on that 'high' Star Wars and Indiana gave me. Iron Man and Dark Knight were excellent, but neither gave me that feeling. ID4 fits the mold too. Right now, I am looking forward to Thor, Cap, and the Avengers to deliver the goods.

Fri Jun 18, 2010 6:58 pm

thewatcher

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

Yep, my friends and I are all philoso-geeks and consequentialy can't wait for Inception.

The last movie I was dieing to see was, like alot of others, Dark Night. Before that, though it wasn't a summer release, was Two Towers. I was shitting bricks that day.

Sun Jun 20, 2010 12:31 am

Ragnarok73

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

James Berardinelli wrote:

So maybe the problem is that we burden summer movies with unreasonable expectations...

This may be so for many people, but not for me after The Phantom Menace. That was the last time I ever stood in line for tickets to a film, as it completely destroyed my sense of anticipation for films. Nowadays, I wait until I see what critics are saying about a film before I decide on whether I'm going to bother with it or not. In a way, sitting through The Phantom Menace was a good thing in that it compelled me to view critic sites such as Rotten Tomatoes. If not for RT, I wouldn't have found JB's site, at least not as soon as I did.

Sun Jun 20, 2010 12:06 pm

Hazgibbon

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

Revolution wrote:

The Matrix is a movie I feel like I "discovered". Didn't know anything about it previously. Missed it in theaters. But I was blown away on my first viewing. My anticipation level for the first sequel was extremely high. I couldn't wait to see where they took the story. Then, of course, we found out. My excitement level for the 3rd film was almost nonexistent.

They can't all be winners, but if Reloaded (stupid title) had been up to the level of the first film, I think anticipation for Revolutions would've taken on insane proportions.

For the record, the last film I just could not wait to see was ROTK. It was one of those where I tried to live safer and healthier for a short period in 2003 because I couldn't risk the chance of dying before I viewed it.

You've pretty much said my experience there, I was dying to see Matrix Reloaded after discovering the first on DVD (my first DVD) after word of mouth.

There's been a few movies that had that blockbuster spellbinding feeling for me, Star Wars was not one of them. For whatever reason, the first time I saw the original Star Wars was when they released it in the 90s in cinemas, I was very dissapointed. Might have been partly due to hype but I really didn't appreciate it that much, and I had been blown away by Independance Day a while before that.

I'd agree that Avatar, Dark Knight, and Transformers all gave me that blockbuster audience on edge of seats feeling, but I'd say none of them are as popular as the original Star Wars was.

As for this years' blockbusters, surely Toy Story is going to do really well, most people I know are eagerly awaiting it. I'm very annoyed that British folk (like myself) have to wait till July to see it but that's another story. Scott Pilgrim looks fantastic, I reckon that'll be a bit of a hit once positive word of mouth gets around. Don't think Inception, Expendables or Shrek 4 will make much of an impact to be honest.

Excellent site btw James, I've been coming here for your reviews for years.

Sun Jun 20, 2010 6:14 pm

Sexual Chocolate

Director

Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 4:04 pmPosts: 1754Location: New Hampshire

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

It's been a while since I was truly stoked to see something. Movies just aren't the event they once were, in my opinion. There are movies that I have wanted to see and made sure to catch them when they came out, but nothing in a long time that has given me the sense of urgency that James talks about, where you're counting down the days as if your life depends on it.

The last film that I remember really being psyched for was Kill Bill. I'm not a Tarantino fanboy, but I loved Reservoir Dogs, loved Pulp Fiction and loved Jackie Brown. Needless to say, Tarantino's first film in 6 years had me pretty excited.

_________________Death is pretty finalI'm collecting vinylI'm gonna DJ at the end of the world.

Sun Jun 20, 2010 11:03 pm

Dragonbeard

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

The last movies I was as hyped about as you described were the LOTR trilogy. So far, nothing has beaten the anticipation of those cinematic gems.

The runner up of course is Harry Potter; I feel the need to have already cancelled everything for whenever DH1 arrives!

The last time I was on the edge of my seat was when I went to see the Dark Knight and saw a trailer for Max Payne. MP is among my favourite video games and a movie was at the time, just pure gold. The trailer actually made me swear loud enough that people in the auditorium actually gave me filthy looks. Lucky they didn't see my reaction to the movie itself; how fucking hard was it to adapt an already outstanding storyline?

Wed Jun 23, 2010 8:55 pm

spencerworth34

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

Rolling Stone gave Inception a 3.5/4 by the way. Im so excited for this movie that a 3.5 isn't quite good enough for me.

Wed Jun 23, 2010 9:18 pm

Ken

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

If it's any consolation, Rolling Stone has had its head planted firmly up its ass for as long as most of us have been alive.

Wed Jun 23, 2010 9:45 pm

Dragonbeard

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

PeachyPete wrote:

jksander wrote:

It's okay . . . apparently I'm the only person in Southern Indiana not to have been suckered into watching The Passion of the Christ.

If it's any consolation, Rolling Stone has had its head planted firmly up its ass for as long as most of us have been alive.

If by "planted firmly up its ass" you mean "has had its nose firmly planted up the industry's ass", then I agree.

Thu Jun 24, 2010 9:19 pm

Dragonbeard

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

Sexual Chocolate wrote:

It's been a while since I was truly stoked to see something. Movies just aren't the event they once were, in my opinion. There are movies that I have wanted to see and made sure to catch them when they came out, but nothing in a long time that has given me the sense of urgency that James talks about, where you're counting down the days as if your life depends on it.

The last film that I remember really being psyched for was Kill Bill. I'm not a Tarantino fanboy, but I loved Reservoir Dogs, loved Pulp Fiction and loved Jackie Brown. Needless to say, Tarantino's first film in 6 years had me pretty excited.

Just noticed this. I'm glad to hear from someone finally who isn't afraid to actually be honest and say they appreciate movies by Tarrentino.

The impression I get is that film classes will teach students that Tarrentino is almost the Dalí of film; creates work that appeals to people to don't know any better when in fact he is below par.

I feel this is a true statement however the movies appeal to those who don't know any better because like Dalí, Tarrentino knows how to appeal to both film buffs and casual viewers (in the case of Dalí, replace "film" with "art").

I once heard a criticism aimed at Tarrentino which stated "he just makes movies full of stuff he likes". I totally agree but I don't consider it a criticism!

Fri Jun 25, 2010 2:38 pm

Sexual Chocolate

Director

Joined: Sun Jun 20, 2010 4:04 pmPosts: 1754Location: New Hampshire

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

Dragonbeard wrote:

Just noticed this. I'm glad to hear from someone finally who isn't afraid to actually be honest and say they appreciate movies by Tarrentino.

The impression I get is that film classes will teach students that Tarrentino is almost the Dalí of film; creates work that appeals to people to don't know any better when in fact he is below par.

I feel this is a true statement however the movies appeal to those who don't know any better because like Dalí, Tarrentino knows how to appeal to both film buffs and casual viewers (in the case of Dalí, replace "film" with "art").

I once heard a criticism aimed at Tarrentino which stated "he just makes movies full of stuff he likes". I totally agree but I don't consider it a criticism!

I suppose that when a director gets a popular following, like Tarantino has, there's bound to be some backlash. He's a good director; he obviously knows his movies, and even if he does make films full of stuff that he likes (which is something he's admitted), I hardly consider it a bad thing.

I think that in the future, we're going to see Tarantino in the same way we see directors such as Howard Hawks, Hitchcock, and Frank Capra: They all made films that pleased audiences, and all had a love/hate relationship with so-called "serious" film folks. This is to say that while the critical/academic community recognized their talent, they tended to be a bit dismissive of their work (Capra's work was famously called "Capra-corn"). Of course, all three are now recognized as masters of their craft, and rightfully so.

_________________Death is pretty finalI'm collecting vinylI'm gonna DJ at the end of the world.

Fri Jun 25, 2010 5:30 pm

ed_metal_head

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

Dragonbeard wrote:

Sexual Chocolate wrote:

It's been a while since I was truly stoked to see something. Movies just aren't the event they once were, in my opinion. There are movies that I have wanted to see and made sure to catch them when they came out, but nothing in a long time that has given me the sense of urgency that James talks about, where you're counting down the days as if your life depends on it.

The last film that I remember really being psyched for was Kill Bill. I'm not a Tarantino fanboy, but I loved Reservoir Dogs, loved Pulp Fiction and loved Jackie Brown. Needless to say, Tarantino's first film in 6 years had me pretty excited.

Just noticed this. I'm glad to hear from someone finally who isn't afraid to actually be honest and say they appreciate movies by Tarrentino.

The impression I get is that film classes will teach students that Tarrentino is almost the Dalí of film; creates work that appeals to people to don't know any better when in fact he is below par.

I feel this is a true statement however the movies appeal to those who don't know any better because like Dalí, Tarrentino knows how to appeal to both film buffs and casual viewers (in the case of Dalí, replace "film" with "art").

I once heard a criticism aimed at Tarrentino which stated "he just makes movies full of stuff he likes". I totally agree but I don't consider it a criticism!

You should look around the forums a bit more Dragonbeard. We more or less built a virtual shrine to Inglourious Basterds.

Fri Jun 25, 2010 5:55 pm

Dragonbeard

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

Sexual Chocolate wrote:

Dragonbeard wrote:

Just noticed this. I'm glad to hear from someone finally who isn't afraid to actually be honest and say they appreciate movies by Tarrentino.

The impression I get is that film classes will teach students that Tarrentino is almost the Dalí of film; creates work that appeals to people to don't know any better when in fact he is below par.

I feel this is a true statement however the movies appeal to those who don't know any better because like Dalí, Tarrentino knows how to appeal to both film buffs and casual viewers (in the case of Dalí, replace "film" with "art").

I once heard a criticism aimed at Tarrentino which stated "he just makes movies full of stuff he likes". I totally agree but I don't consider it a criticism!

I suppose that when a director gets a popular following, like Tarantino has, there's bound to be some backlash. He's a good director; he obviously knows his movies, and even if he does make films full of stuff that he likes (which is something he's admitted), I hardly consider it a bad thing.

I think that in the future, we're going to see Tarantino in the same way we see directors such as Howard Hawks, Hitchcock, and Frank Capra: They all made films that pleased audiences, and all had a love/hate relationship with so-called "serious" film folks. This is to say that while the critical/academic community recognized their talent, they tended to be a bit dismissive of their work (Capra's work was famously called "Capra-corn"). Of course, all three are now recognized as masters of their craft, and rightfully so.

Noo it's by no means a bad thing! I feel it's what made people like Tarrentino and Hitchcock unique!

Ed I somehow managed to miss this "shrine" you speak of but I'm by no means surprised, the film is terrific!

Fri Jun 25, 2010 6:44 pm

Ken

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

Dragonbeard wrote:

The impression I get is that film classes will teach students that Tarrentino is almost the Dalí of film; creates work that appeals to people to don't know any better when in fact he is below par.

I feel this is a true statement however the movies appeal to those who don't know any better because like Dalí, Tarrentino knows how to appeal to both film buffs and casual viewers (in the case of Dalí, replace "film" with "art").

I once heard a criticism aimed at Tarrentino which stated "he just makes movies full of stuff he likes". I totally agree but I don't consider it a criticism!

In my experience, appreciation for Tarantino follows a U-curve. He's great for inexperienced film enthusiasts. They love him for his energy, his peppy dialogue, and his inside humor. He's their gateway to alt-cinema--different, but in a familiar way.

After that, there's a drop-off. Maybe the film enthusiasts grow tired of Tarantino's smart alecky self-awareness. Maybe they read Syd Field and learn everything there is to know about writing a "correct" screenplay. Maybe they just get too cool for school. Who knows?

But if they stick with it, maybe they learn to appreciate just how masterfully executed a Quentin Tarantino scene is, and how rare and precious a thing that is in this day and age.

Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:09 pm

Dragonbeard

Re: June 15, 2010: "When the Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary"

Ken wrote:

Dragonbeard wrote:

The impression I get is that film classes will teach students that Tarrentino is almost the Dalí of film; creates work that appeals to people to don't know any better when in fact he is below par.

I feel this is a true statement however the movies appeal to those who don't know any better because like Dalí, Tarrentino knows how to appeal to both film buffs and casual viewers (in the case of Dalí, replace "film" with "art").

I once heard a criticism aimed at Tarrentino which stated "he just makes movies full of stuff he likes". I totally agree but I don't consider it a criticism!

In my experience, appreciation for Tarantino follows a U-curve. He's great for inexperienced film enthusiasts. They love him for his energy, his peppy dialogue, and his inside humor. He's their gateway to alt-cinema--different, but in a familiar way.

After that, there's a drop-off. Maybe the film enthusiasts grow tired of Tarantino's smart alecky self-awareness. Maybe they read Syd Field and learn everything there is to know about writing a "correct" screenplay. Maybe they just get too cool for school. Who knows?

But if they stick with it, maybe they learn to appreciate just how masterfully executed a Quentin Tarantino scene is, and how rare and precious a thing that is in this day and age.

Thank you, i think you've pretty much translated my jibberjabber into what I was attempting to get at!

I think that when you learn the clinical methods presented in academia, those who stray of the path such as Tarrentino have their deviances shown up as nothing more than errors. Yes he is beyond self aware but self awareness is similar to a credit card; it can consume you and turn ugly or it can be put to very good use if used carefully.

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